Katsuki's worried about Ochako, and he can't stop this nagging sense of powerlessness. So he makes spicy soup instead.
Set a little over 4 weeks after the events of Ch. 1 - You Awake?
"Ochako! I'm home!" Katsuki blared through their new apartment as he sat his bag of gear down and removed his sneakers at the entryway.
He was confused by the immediate lack of response. She always ran in for a hug if she was home before him, and he knew she was off today just so she could unpack.
But when he looked around, the kotatsu, books, and the video game system were out in the middle of the living room, a single container of half-eaten ramen and a can of soda sat on the wood floor beside it all, surrounded by a handful of boxes and partially assembled furniture.
Ochako and Katsuki found that, together, they actually preferred things a bit simple, almost minimal, because it looked clean, and trendy and...kept Ochako's anxieties around money in check. So, there wasn't much to set up, which is why Katsuki was wondering where the hell his wife was.
The house was so quiet.
Maybe she went out to run an errand, he thought as he checked the office and guest room before making his way to their bedroom.
"You in here Cheeks? You awake?"
Katsuki stopped at the threshold, struck at the peaceful sight of a slumbering Ochako on top of the covers, body curled up as if trying to hide from the cold.
This was the third time this week he'd found her asleep at a random time during the day. On Monday he'd come in from patrol and caught her on the break room couch, curled up, lunch untouched. And yesterday, she'd taken flex hours to be home for the movers, and he'd come in from his night shift to find her asleep under the kotatsu at one in the afternoon, nothing unpacked.
He'd put together the office, guest room and bedroom alone, because she said her head hurt, then turned over to sleep again - and it sucked.
And here they were, Friday, and again, she was out, looking like death warmed over.
He was starting to worry. And Bakugou Katsuki didn't do "worry".
"Chako! Get the fuck up! We're supposed to make dinner together you lazyass!" He said, striding over to the bed and bouncing on top of it to stir the small brunette.
"Mm...Katsuki. Welcome home." Ochako mumbled, her hair tweaked up and out of sorts as she lifted before she winced and laid back down.
"...get uuuuup!" He demanded, ignoring her obvious fatigue. She could handle a little bout of whatever this was, she was strong dammit, so why was she acting like this. "Come on! We've got a ribeye with our name on it, so get your ass up! " He repeated, almost whining, rocking the bed again.
She hadn't been eating a lot the past week, and he thought if they shared an awesome cut of meat, she'd get a little energy back.
His dad got this way with flu that had turned into pneumonia once, and that had been bad. But she didn't seem sick like that, so this was the best thing he could come up with, stuffing her full of tasty food.
Ochako looked up, a small smile gracing her cute face, and Katsuki could think of nothing better to do but touch his lips to hers to let out his frustration.
The sound of her deep intake of air excited him and he pulled her up to sit on his knees. She responded just like he liked, grabbing at him, scooting until her hips met his. It made his heart jackhammer in his chest as small hands rubbed along his scalp while they breathed into each other, lips touching and parting in a needy way.
"Mm...Ochako. I. Fucking. Missed you. This week." He said in between kisses, happy to lose his mind to her and just feel. She pulled away smiling, eyes glazed over, a bit of color returning to her cheeks.
If that is what it took to make her look and act normal, he'd keep her in bed all weekend. Kiss her everywhere to keep her like this, he thought as he leaned in for more.
Ochako leaned back.
"I'm sorry Katsuki. That does feel good…" she laughed softly, "But I'm actually still a little tired. If it's okay, I think I'll just head to bed." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and laying into him, head resting on his shoulder, breathing already starting to even out.
"What the fuck, seriously?!" He said, pushing her back by her shoulders, his concern rising, "Ochako, what the fuck is going on? You...I…" he stammered, not knowing what to say, afraid to name the weakness, afraid it was something bad and...real.
"I know. But it's okay. I ate a little ramen earlier, but I wasn't very hungry. Sleep'll help though, I always wake up feeling better."
"No. No! It's not okay!" He shouted with a slight clench of her shoulders, her eyes widened at the quick flip of his emotions. She was obviously in some sort of denial. "There's something...wrong with you. I can see it. Some moments you look perfect, and I think you're on the upswing, but the next I find you dead ass asleep like it's not the middle of the fucking day, like we don't have plans or shit to do. Your heads bothering you, you're not eating while you're still training and working. You're gonna fucking hurt yourself. I think…" he said, lowering his eyes as Ochako slowly started to look a little emotional, "I think you need to see the doctor. In case…" In case what...in case what Katsuki?! In case she's fucking sick. In case she's fucking dying or some stupid shit?!
"I'm sorry..." she said with a tight quality to her voice. Like she was holding back tears.
Without realizing it, his breathing quickened, heart racing for an entirely new and different reason. And it scared the fuck out of him. He didn't do "worried", and he absolutely reviled "scared". This wasn't him.
What the fuck! He screamed internally, letting out an actual growl and slamming his hands to his head, rubbing hard to stop the pressure behind his eyes. He didn't want her to say sorry, he just wanted her to be okay.
"I didn't seem that bad. I honestly just feel really tired, and maybe a little sick. But...I guess you're right. I...don't feel well. I thought, if I just kept going, pushed through it, it would go away. I don't like feeling weak any more than you do." She said calmly, pulling his chin up to gaze into her glassy stare. "But I guess I've been too tired to even notice it's probably time to get checked out. Whatever it is, I'm sure...I'll...I'm sure it will be something easy to beat," she said reassuringly.
But she looked so tired, it was hard to feel reassured.
"Fuck, this is stupid!" He shouted, and jumped off the bed, wordlessly urging Ochako to the edge. When she complied, he pulled her into his arms bridal style and walked out of the room.
"Katsuki?"
"Stop talking. You're gonna have a great fucking afternoon. We'll put your stupid little adventure-gathery game on the tv, you're gonna stay under the kotatsu where it's warm, and I'll cook an early dinner."
Knowing that once Katsuki had a plan, he followed through, Ochako simply smiled and snuggled into his chest before he set her down on the floor. She watched as he picked up her small mess beside the table, walked back to turn on the tv, and then went to the hall, his gait, even while doing menial tasks, was powerful and confident.
Ochako didn't know what to do or so. There was no more denying that she felt like her strength was being zapped and only able to recharge after extensive napping. But she was determined to stay up a bit longer, if only to at least try and get some food in, and calm his obvious anxiety a tiny bit.
Katsuki returned with a futon, blankets, and pillows.
He plopped it onto the floor a little closer to the tv, and unfurled the futon, making easy work of setting up the small bed. To finish it off, he picked up the kotatsu and placed it on the foot end of the futon, turning down the heat to the lowest setting.
"There. Sit."
"I'm not a dog Katsuki." She laughed brightly, crawling on all fours as if to prove otherwise to settle cutely onto the bed and slide under the kotatsu. It was super comfortable.
"I fucking know that." He scoffed, "I just need you to not do anything, and just relax."
He stood there and watched her snuggle in, and begin her game. The calming music and scenery was the perfect thing to keep her relaxed and happy as she started directing her character on the screen to climb a tree and gather eggs.
"God that's a stupid fucking game."
Tch
"Did you just…" clearly affronted, Katsuki pressed on his ears repeatedly similar to Ochako's button mashing.
"Sure did. That sound is super useful." She said with a yawn, not bothering to look at him.
He rolled his eyes and moved into the open kitchen. With the ease of a long-time cook, Katsuki measured out and started a pot of rice, glancing at Ochako occasionally to make sure she was okay. The clanking of pots and lids and things being chopped commenced.
The combination of sounds was such a comfort for Ochako.
"I'm gonna make a soup for the side, and it's gonna have some spice, but you gotta at least try it, okay?" He shouted over the sizzle in his pan as he started frying up some veggies, and finished preparing a pot with dashi stock and konbu.
"Yes, mom!" She responded, button-mashing against a mob in her game.
His brow furrowed razor sharp, gnashing his teeth as he cubed up the ribeye, determined to not argue back.
Ochako paused for a moment to watch him work, letting the wonderful smells wash over her. It'd been days since anything seemed appetizing, everything causing the undertone of nausea or a headache. She loved seeing the way he skillfully moved from one task to the next, his understanding and knowing just what to do to orchestrate his symphony and keep everything moving toward the ultimate finale. She also loved that focus and the intensity with which he did everything, like it was all a battle, just on different scales. She wanted to pay respect to it and enjoy the meal he lovingly prepared, whether he would describe it that way or not.
And she knew he was throwing himself into it extra hard if only to stop thinking for a moment and just be. Ochako hated that she was worrying him to this level. Even in the heat of a fight or rescue, he'd never been worried like this. Probably because whatever this was wasn't something he could fight.
She sat up, crawling out to grab her phone from the couch.
"Lay your ass back down!" Katsuki yelled over the counter. She laughed, hustling back with it, feeling a bit energized at just interacting with him. She'd make an appointment after dinner. If anything, now that she thought about it, she was more worried about how this would affect them trying to have a baby. They'd been…
Trying…
Ochako nearly dropped her phone, feeling her stomach as she sat up again, round eyes wide.
Katsuki emerged from the kitchen, setting up trivets and laying down a hot bowl of soup containing whole slices of chilies with a little beef and seaweed floating in it to share with a sliced omelet. He mistook her look of surprise to be about the look of the food. He went back and forth, finishing with setting down their dishware and the plate of cubed ribeye, cooked to a perfect medium rare.
Ochako, on the other hand, was busy going through a timeline in her head. It'd only been a handful of weeks. But all the signs seemed there. Missing a period, and spotting - none of that mattered to a highly active hero. So it still could be nothing. But...a quick search and thumbing through her phone, and she felt like...it was suddenly the only explanation.
"Come on, let's eat!"
"Right!" She said, putting it away under the table, her lips curving into an unbelieving smile.
"It looks and smells so delicious. Thank you so much! Your meals are always so simple and fast, we should start a hero cooking show, your fans would love it!" She said, happily popping steak and rice into her mouth.
It was savory, a little salty and so perfectly seared and warm but it left a bit of aftertaste that didn't sit quite right.
Though Katsuki was happy to see her more lively, he couldn't help but read her face with narrowed eyes.
"I think I might wanna cook this a bit more." She said with a wrinkle in her nose, trying not to offend him, but simply state her tastes. It wasn't exactly nauseating, but if she tried it again, she could imagine getting close to it.
Katsuki watched her take a bite of cabbage, irritated by how she moved it around to be rid of the other flavor.
He sneered. The steak was perfect, what the fuck was her problem.
"Try the soup." He urged.
It was a soup his mom used to make him when he was sick. She credited his consumption of chilies for his ability to bounce back from so many ailments. And even though Ochako didn't do spicy, he really just wanted an excuse to make something comforting.
Ochako laughed at the amount of spice she could smell coming off of it. It made her jaws ache and saliva filled her mouth, in a non-nauseating way. "Ha! You said this had a little spice. This smells like 10,000 Scoville worth in my bowl."
"That's literally nothing. I can show you the fucking scale." Katsuki said flatly disinterested in debating the hotness of the soup.
"To you." She whined.
"Just try it." He scoffed in impatience.
Well then…
Ochako took a spoonful, hoping this wouldn't be the start of the full-on sickness inducing portion of her situation (if that's what it was). But the swirl of heat, grounded in a dashi base, with tiny shreds of seaweed and fully cooked beef, plus the crunch of a chili seemed almost exactly like something she didn't know she was craving.
This was amazing.
Katsuki sat staring in concern, watching Ochako consume spoonful after spoonful of something he thought he was making mostly for himself. Now he just wasn't sure what he wanted, but a fucking explanation would be nice.
"What the hell…"
"What? This is great! I didn't even realize...but this is exactly what I needed. I feel awake...and hungry! Oh man..." she said, following up with a giant spoon of rice, "...fanks Kaski! Can yo ake fis fomorrow?!" She asked, still chewing, snatching up the ladle to pour another bowl of soup.
"What the fuck are you doing?"
She swallowed and smacked her lips in delight. "Getting my nutrition," she said, raising another spoonful to her mouth.
"Now? With my soup?"
"I thought you wanted me to try it?" She asked, continuing to eat it with a self-satisfied smile, staring into his eyes while she bit into a slice of chili.
"I didn't think you were actually gonna eat it! You...don't like spicy shit!" He said, snatching the ladle after she put it down, holding it while he ate and staring straight back at her, determined to detain it until he was ready for his second bowl.
"Yeh well, I guess your baby must like it more than I dislike it." She said with a shrug, popping a slice of omelet in her mouth, tearing away from his now blank expression to fish a pepper out of her soup.
The ladle clattered onto the table, disturbing the platter of veggies and landing in the pile of steak bits. Ochako took a moment to collect herself, successfully getting a scoop of peppers and downing it as the quiet space filled with only the sounds of her games music. It was a happy little xylophone jig softly playing in the background that sounded like the morning sun rising over a sleepy village.
When Ochako finally looked up, Katsuki was already off the floor and on his knees beside her.
"You fuckin' serious?" He asked in a measured tone, calm, hands hovering centimeters around her form, seemingly almost afraid to touch her.
Ochako brought her hand up behind her head, scratching to relieve an itch that wasn't there. "Uh...I'm not sure, but it just sorta hit me while you were cooking. And...the symptoms fit...so far." She chuckled, pulling her phone out with a wave, still rubbing manically at the back of her head. "And...I...yeh, I think I might be pregnant. Which is nuts cause it's only been a few weeks, so that would mean we made it during the first…"
Katsuki's mouth was on hers, instantly shutting down her rambling, hands gripping her waist, rubbing gentle circles into her hips with his thumbs. This kiss seared her lips, his desperation and loved sinking all the way into wherever he touched before he pulled away, leaving her breathless.
"Fuck. What do we do to find out?" He breathed out, touching his forehead to hers before looking down at her stomach, searching frantically as if he'd be able to see the little thing forming.
"Just a pregnancy test, and then I guess a doctor to confirm." She giggled, amused by the way he was looking at her.
Ignoring her small laughs, Katsuki pushed the table off the futon, plates clattering and bowls of soup spilling on top. Then took her hands and guided her to lay down.
"What are you doing?" She laughed, feeling both tired again, and self-conscious as he got on top of her, hovering on all fours to stare before sliding down to lay beside her, placing his head on her stomach.
"You keep laughin' I won't cook for you for a fuckin' week!"
Running her fingers through his hair, she guffawed, "You wouldn't do that to me if it's true!"
"We'll see." He said, eyes still focused on the sweater covering her stomach, hand slowly gliding up to touch. He closed his eyes, listening.
Obviously, he couldn't hear a thing. But just the thought. Just the idea that the little building blocks of a person could be happening right beneath his cheek sent Katsuki's heart tumbling.
Someone half of him and half of her - the two best people he knew! The embodiment of their combination and attempts at becoming as close together as possible. A literal fusion of them in a bundle of potential energy sitting in Ochako's belly.
Yeh, Katsuki liked the idea a lot. So much.
"It's still early." he thought out loud.
"For what…"
"The test Round Face, the fucking test! Let's go get one!" He said, sitting up, impatience coursing through his veins.
"Oh...uh...but what about dinner?"
"Fuck dinner! Come on, get your shoes!" He commanded, halfway crawling and running to the entryway to put on his sneakers.
"I was thinkin' it was some crazy shit! But if it's this then, that'd be the best fuckin' news I've heard my whole god damn life!" He grabbed the key as Ochako joined him in the entryway, slipping into her flats and put on a scarf and hat, her chubby cheeks hurting from her smile.
"Let's not get our hopes up. Maybe it's just really bad PMS or something."
"Too late, get on my back, I'll keep you warm."
She laughed as he bent down to let her on. And they were off, out the door, down the hall, and into the elevators. Katsuki mashed the button for floor one so hard Ochako thought he might crack it.
"'Sides," he said, picking up where they left off, hoisting her around him to pin her to the wall of the elevator. He kissed her hard, hands holding tight to her legging-clad thighs, and pressing against her center, so jacked with energy he didn't know what to do but pour it into her. "We can try again real quick on the way back up."
"Katsuki!"
He grinned wide, mischief and excitement trying to edge out his worry.
Katsuki leaned into her, cupping her cheek as they kissed each other senseless during the ride down. But with the ding of each passing floor, Katsuki's anxiety ticked up, spurring him to hold her tighter and keep her close.
The feeling from earlier about his lack of control if something was wrong - knowing Ochako might be pregnant didn't make it stop. Now the worry was how he'd survive if anything happened.
"Katsuki…" Ochako gasped, moving her lips to kiss along his jaw.
"I fuckin' love you Cheeks, you know that?" He gulped, happy she couldn't see his face.
"Of course. I love you too." She sighed into his ear.
The elevator chimed and the doors slowly slid open. Ochako and Katsuki carefully readjusted, and he carried her out, eyeing the few people waiting for them to exit. Katsuki glared at them all, daring them to say some shit.
The couple made it to the store, picked up a few snacks, and headed back. They even braved a chance to quickly do exactly what Katsuki wanted, clothes on, during the ride back up. Considering their collective excitement and his anxiety were at max, it only took a couple of minutes to get them both to reach their high before they had to exit.
Once inside the apartment, Ochako breathed out heavy, anticipation filling them both.
"Okay! I'm gonna do the test and take a bath. And I'll...let ya know, 'kay?" She said, kissing him and heading off to their room.
"Kay," Katsuki said. Nerves buzzing through his fingers as he looked for something to do.
He started by cleaning up their dinner from earlier, salvaging what he could, and set out the snacks instead before sitting down to wait. Waiting definitely wasn't his strong suit either.
A few minutes later Ochako's voice echoed off the tile of the bathroom. "KATSUKI!", she screamed, causing his heart to ratchet up in beats. He jumped up, fight-or-flight active as Ochako ran out naked with a towel barely clenched over her chest for the sake of modesty. "Both of them!" She said with a rosy-cheeked grin, running and jumping up to kiss him. She slammed two white sticks into his chest before departing back to the bathroom. They almost floated away when she let go.
The sticks didn't look like they said anything. No yes, or no, just lines.
But he sighed happily nonetheless hearing Ochako's voice sing out in the bath.
"Fuck yeh." Katsuki chuckled, sitting down and falling back onto the futon, "a fuckin' dad, huh?" He asked himself, staring at the tests.
It seemed almost too good to be true.
And...somewhere inside, the ache of worry still lingered.
What would he do? How should he prepare? What's it like? How could he keep this painful sense of powerlessness from pulling him under knowing all the crazy shit that was out there in the world?
He thought he knew the answers, but he wanted to hear it firsthand.
Katsuki pulled out his phone, anxious for the conversation ahead.
There was no need to search through the contacts or think about what to dial because Katsuki knew exactly who would know what to do and say.
If there was anyone that would have some sort of answer for how to deal with this feeling, it had to be the most chill fucking person in the world.
After pressing the button, Katsuki held his breath, pooling his tension.
It only took a second before a voice came onto the other line.
"Katsuki?"
"...Hey old man." He breathed out, letting everything go. "Ya got a minute?"
